save the children

I just awoke from a dream.



(I woke up late, slept in and missed church... shucks. Tired because I went to the Journey of Faith exhibition last night till 230am - awesome!)



In my dream, I was somehow affiliated to this family, which has a secondary-school-going older brother, and a younger sister, cute young thing like the girl from Sun Koh's film, the girl who didn't want to learn the piano. They had a mother, a sensible lady, who reminds me of Shuyi's mother (of course it wasn't, in my dream). This family stayed in a HDB flat on one of the high floors.



One day, the little girl got approached by a male stranger uncle who she maintained her courtesies with despite the fact he had no-good intentions.



This little girl was so traumatised by the incident inwardly, but the adults in her world, including me, had little awareness of what had happened between her and that strange man. We carried on interacting with her as we would with a child. In my dream I saw scenes where she came to what I believe was my room, where there was a retro wooden desk, and at my desk we talked a bit. She might have told me about the incident with the stranger, but as a child she wouldn't know exactly what the man did to her, and I just comforted her and told her to be careful and to go out with somebody always. But that was it.



She actually went to the doctor by herself, resourceful girl, on the precept of some illness occuring to her, or some ointment she needed. But what happened at the doctor's office, was that she told the doctor about that incident with that man. The doctor, being perceptive, inspected her and found out exactly what went on.



All this happened when I was not around for the day, and when I returned, the mom and I believe another relative who was present, said they found out that the little girl had been harrassed by a man, and they were now going to the brother's school to look for his teacher for help. Apparently the teacher who taught the brother in school was capable of providing social assistance of some kind. While the mother was calmly relating the course of action to me, the little girl remained standing, and then the mother told her that if she was too tired to stand she could, I think, lean against the wall or something. I said, why does she need to stand?



And then it occurred to me somehow, in the dream, that the little girl had been raped.



I asked if she was hurting, the mother said, regularly, since that day it happened. The doctor said standing would alleviate the pain and quicken the healing process (you do remember this is a dream).



So we went off to the school. While we were loitering outside what I believe was the staff room, I took the little girl and hugged her and cried over her. I told her to be strong and that when she grew up she could do something to help prevent this from happening to other girls. Of course, she cried too, and asked me questions about what I was saying through my tears, and I explained.



The mother then said to me, to help find the teacher; the boy was in class 3/3. So I went around the school.



But I got lost. The school suddenly resembled my old secondary school. A very very old version of it. My secondary school was over two school plots, one had previously been Willow Secondary School. No longer in existence since a long time ago. Hence the place was very old, with much mud and overgrown grass on gravel paths between blocks, and the canteen, a tiny old dilapidated canteen, looked the same.



I have no clue as to why I got lost, perhaps I wasn't searching properly. I skimmed through some classrooms on a floor, and then went to the next - that was how I searched. This was in the afternoon session, and school was coming to an end for the day very soon. Still, I continually got lost.



Finally I landed in a classroom where some students were playing guitar and singing a bit. I went in and joined them, for awhile. Later one of the boys started plucking a tune, which I realised I knew - it was You Are Why, a worship song. I loved it, and sang it with them.



Then I asked them, where is 3/3? Did they know this boy - I gave a name. The guitar boy said, it is too late now, school is ending. It was indeed, getting dark.



I had gotten lost, and distracted, even if by a good thing.



I awoke and thought about this dream. I realised immediately, it was my state of being. I am passionate about saving people and providing social welfare and counselling type of ministry to many, especially children, especially in Asia.



But instead, I get lost, and distracted, and am nowhere near actually helping anyone - not even one little girl who I loved in the dream. I didn't have a plan.



God, what is my plan of action now?



I have come to realise recently, that the season of change has happened to me, where after I have done one part - my art education business - I now need to consider the other aspect of social welfare ministry. My art education business is meant to be an exportable resource platform which can be used in ministry. Now, a new phase is shaking me up, and my thoughts are of warning: I have to listen to Him for a plan now, and it must not pass me by nor must I get lost and distracted.



Lives are at stake.



When will I finally gain insight into the next step of my calling?